The invention relates to a rolling aid for use by elderly and disabled people. Such aids are well-known e.g. as xe2x80x9crollatorxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cwalkerxe2x80x9d which are used by elderly people and disabled people to render self-reliant walking easier and safer.
An aid of the latter type, being in fact a walking aid, is known from DE 4328875. The advantage of this well-known aid is to be seen in that its frame is foldable in both the rolling (walking) direction and the transverse direction, so that in the (completely) folded state, it occupies so little space, that it may be readily carried along when going by bus or tram, or taken along in the trunk of an automobile. The well-known aid, however, has certain disadvantages which may affect the ease of use as will be explained hereinafter.
With the well-known device the second foldable transverse connection is carried out in the form of two articulated V-bars, which have the respective apex directed upwardly and downwardly respectively and cross one another to form a double linkage, wherein one leg of each articulated V-bar extends through and is pivotally connected to a bifurcated leg of the other V-bar. The outer ends of the V-bar that has its apex directed upwardly, engage the frame tubes of the first pair of frame tubes, whereas the outer ends of the V-bar that has its apex directed downwardly, engage the ends of the sections of the frame tubes of the second pair of frame tubes that deviate substantially horizontally towards said first pair of frame tubes and extend parallel to one another. In order that folding in the transverse direction will cause the frame tubes of both pairs of frame tubes to move towards one another in the rolling (walking) direction, it is essential that the V-bars are located in a plane that makes an angle with the plane in which the frame tubes of the first pair of frame tubes are located, and that this angle will decrease when folding. The latter condition, however, implies that the outer ends of the V-bars must be allowed to pivot relative to the frame tubes of the first pair of frame tubes and relative to the horizontally deviating sections of the frame tubes of the second pair of frame tubes respectively about two mutually perpendicular axes, which involves a rather complex structure and may be detrimental to a smooth folding and unfolding procedure respectively.
The invention aims at providing an improved rolling aid, which does not have the disadvantages mentioned hereinabove. According to the invention this aim is achieved thanks the features mentioned in claim 1.
Thanks the features of the invention the hinge bars of the second foldable transverse connection may be simply positioned within the plane of the frame tubes of the first pair of frame tubes and may thus pivot about single axes at right angles to this plane, while the required concurrence of the procedure of folding in the transverse direction and the procedure of folding in the rolling (walking) direction is effected in a smooth manner by the sections of the frame tubes of the second pair of frame tubes, which extendxe2x80x94in the rolling (walking) positionxe2x80x94obliquely inwardly and are rotatably mounted to the respective hinge joint platform halves. Moreover, the obliquely inwardly directed frame tube sections substantially contribute to the stability of the aid.
A simple and practical embodiment of the aid of the present invention also has the features of claim 2. In this case the second foldable transverse connection comprises two crossing links only, which in the unfolded position need to function as a xe2x80x9cshorexe2x80x9d only.
An alternative embodiment having the possibility of locking the aid in the use-position, has the features of claims 3-5.
A particular embodiment of the aid of the present invention has the features mentioned in claim 6 and 7, wherein the feature of claim 6 provides for a simple way of preventing the deviating frame tube sections, which are rotatably mounted to the hinge joint platform, from turning about their axes relative to one another, and the feature of claim 7 provides for handle bars, to which merely a vertically directed lifting force needs to be applied to have the frame of the aid fold together simultaneously in both directions (transverse direction and rolling (walking) direction).
It will be understood that when the aid according to the present invention is used as a rollator (rolling walking aid) the pair of frame tubes which hereinabove is defined as xe2x80x9cthe first pair of frame tubesxe2x80x9d will constitute the forward pair of frame tubes and that xe2x80x9cthe second pair of frame tubesxe2x80x9d may in that case be considered as the rear pair of frame tubes.
Through the features defined in claims 6 and 7 the aid according to the present invention is also suitable for use as a wheel chair. In that case the handle bars, which function as push handle bars in case of use as a rollator, may in case of use as a wheel chair, fulfil the function of armrests, whereas the handle bars at the upper end of the upwardly directed tube sections of the frame tubes of the second pair of frame tubes (claim 7) may servexe2x80x94when using the aid as a wheel chairxe2x80x94as push handle bars. Moreover, a xe2x80x9crealxe2x80x9d backrest could be provided, removably if desired, in two parts. In that case the rolling direction is opposite to that in case of using the aid as a rollator.